Apparatus for electric welding.



W. B. CLEVELAND. `lxPPAH/TUS FOR ELECTRIC` WELDING. APPLICATION FILED Anza. 1915'.

Patented J an. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- irme/Yew A `W. B. CLEVELAND. APPARATUS 'FOR ELECTRIC WELDING. APPLlcAUo'N FILED mm3. m5. 1 ,299,089, Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l fr/Viana@ q /A/ VFA/7,0@ 54 Hv/z @y vga? eing UNITED STATES PATENT l oEEioE.

WILLIAM B. CLEVELAND, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO V'FI-IE ELECTRIC RAILWAY IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC WELDING;

Application filed April 23..

To all ywhom t may concern:

Be it known that "I, WILLIAM B. CLEVE LAND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement ini Apparatus for Electric lVelding, of which the followingis a.

unlike masses, and different temperatures of fusion, the smaller mass having both the lower temperature of fusion, and the greater conductivity, although neither the method nor apparatus is necessarily limited to such particular application or field of use. More especially still, such improvements are adapted for the welding, or brazing, of bonds onto rails in accordance with the socalled Herrick process of making a homoeneous mechanical juncture, said process described in United States Letters Patent'No. 1,012,077, to Albert B. Herrick,

vdated December 19, 1911, whereby such bonding is 'now satisfactorily accomplished with the aid of the electric current.

The welding electrode, which constitutes one of the distinctive features of the present apparatus, forms the subject matter of a sepa-rate application filed by me October^ 16, 1909, .Serial No. 522,921, the present invention consisting in a special mode of use of such electrode, involving the provision of certain accessory parts, and more especially of a particular construction of support. .As described and claimed in such co-pending application, said electrode consists, in effect, of two 'sections having contiguously disposed faces adapted simultaneously to Vcontact with the body being operated upon, and thereby close a series circuit through said electrode sections and body.

The aforesaid electrode sections are, furthermore., independently adjustablein the means provided for supporting the same, so as to permit of, such contiguous faces being held against the-body being operated upon,

with a relatively variable pressure,depend ing upon such adjustment, and thus enable a predetermined heating effect to be secured Specification of Letters Patent.

IatcntedJan. 7, 1919.

i915. serial No. 23,510.

opposite such electrode secti ons, respectively. By means of the special supporting apparatus, which forms the subject matter of the present invent-ion, I am enabled, in addition to the independentadjustment of the'electrodes ju'streferred to for securing a variable pressure, to provide for their.'simul taneous or uconjoint adjustment to thusvary the pressure exerted by said electrode sections, respectively. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully des-cribed and particularly pointed out in the claims.' i

The annexed dra-wings and the following description Iset forth .in detail certain mecha-- nism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used. I

In said annexed drawingsl Figure 1 is a perspective View' ofan approved-form of my present apparatus, shown in connection with a portion of a truck, or like means of transport, and also showing sections of two meeting rails, in conjunction with which the 'bonding operation is to be carried out; Figs. 1a and 1b are transverse sections of such apparatus taken on the planesl indicated by the line 11-1, Fig. 1, and lb-l", Fig. 1a respectively; Fig. 2 isy a front elevational view of the electrode proper and its immediate supports; Fig. 3 is a top plan View of such electrode; Figs. 4, 5 and G are transverse sectional views of the same taken on the lines 4%.-4, 5-5 and 6-6, respectively, Fig. 2; and Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic representation of the method y or process involved in using the foregoing apparatus in welding a bond to a rail.

Referring to the perspective illustration of the complete apparatus constituting Fig.

1 of the drawings, it should be ekplained that such apparatus, in all of its main featerest in the present connection.

As has been previously indicated,'the apparatus is conveniently, but not necessarily', supported upon a truck, or platform car A, movable upon a track, the rails of which' it is 'desired to bond. It is not meant to im ply, of course, that the apparatus is limited to use with any particular kind of a support. Of such rails. two meeting sections B, B are shown in Fig. 1, with the apparatus about to be described, in proper operative position with reference lthereto, to attach one terminal of the bond 7) to one railcnd. Ordinarily, the current for carrying out such operation, will be derived from the trolley wire and"` return circuit usually found in connection with the track where the operation of bonding is to be conducted. lin this event, suitable apparatus for transforming and converting .the current, together with the necessary switches, circuit breaker, controller, resistance, and the like,

are borne upon the ear A. In the vprocess intended to bc carried outwith the aforesaid `Patent No. 961,984, the rail is intended to be utilized as a part of the return circuit, and the current used inA bonding 'is hence passed in series through the heating electrode carried by one arm of the apparatus, the bond terminal and the rail, to the other electrode. In the present arrangement, as vpreviously indicated, the current used in the welding operation is not intended to pass through the rai-l, but through the bond' terminal only. y

The supporting apparatus proper, comprises a plate, ormember 1, formed `with a transverse slide-way, rigidly secured tov a corner'of the car frame, so as to form, in effect, a. part thereof. On this slide-wayl is mounted a second'plate 2 formed, in turn, with a vertical slide-way 3 that bears a third memberin the form of a plate 4, said plate 2 being moved transversely of the car by operation of a hand-wheel 5 having suitable threaded connection therewith, as will be readily understood. In conjunction with said plate 2,' thus transversely slidable. there is provided a vertical shaft. or rod G, disposed infront of, and parallel with, the slide-way 3 therein, on which the vertically slidable plate 4; is movable. Thev latter is formed with suitable apertured ears through which the rod may pass, and is longitudinally secured thereto, so that raising' or lowering of the rod will be effective to raise or lower said plate 4 relatively to the plate Q together with a block-like casting 7 that is, in effect, pivotally attached to said member by said rod so as to he oscillatoiwv about the substantially vertical avis defined by the latter. l

Member 7, thus oscillatorily vmounted about a vertical axis, and vertically andt'ansversely adjustable, as well, by reason of the construction just described. is provided on its sides with vertical slide-ways 8 and 9, in which are respectively held slide-men'ibcrs l() and 11 that may be adjusted into any dcsired position relatively to said first member,.b v means of hand-wheels lf2 and 13.

To these slides are in turn respectively pivotally attached about transverse axes. two links 14: and 15 Whic\l serve to support thc electrode members 16 and 1T proper. Of these, the; latter in the present. case. constitutes in effect, merely a clamp member. /no current being passed therethrough and may be omitted entirely if desired; while tht` other does not directly contact with the article to be welded, but carries the heating electrode the specific construction of which will be now duly set forth.

Before proceeding with such specific description of the heating electrode proper. it should be observed that the two membersl 16 and 17 are adapted to be swung inwardly or outwardly from their linked connection with the block 7, by means of hand-wheelsI 19 and 2O on threaded spindles. or adjusting screws 21 and QQ. The inner ends of the latterengage an extension 23 on the. shaft 6, which is provided with suitable slidable connections for such screw ends. so as not to interfere with the free vertical adjustment of the elect-rode members. .Xs a result of the construction of the parts thu.`- far described, it will be seen that the members 16 and 17, and more particularly the former which supports the heating electrode proper, may not only be moved in a vertical and transverse direction with referencel to the line of the rail. but also that such electrode may be oscillated about a vertical aXis defined by the shaft G. such oscillation being effected by means of a handwheel Q5 on a threaded spindle QG rotatably mounted in the member 7 but held against longitudinal movement therein, and having threaded engagement with a swiveled stud Q7 mounted onthe vertically slidable plate 4.

The heating electrode proper, as best shown in Fig. 2, comprises t-wo'depending arms 80, 31, which are suitably secured to the member 16, being insulated from each other and from said member. To thus mount said arms. they are preferably pivotally attached at points intermediate between their ends, as by bolts to the respective ends of a short bar 33 which is either constructed of insulating material or else is suitably insulated from said arms by other means. such as interposed layers 3i of insulation, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The lower end of the member 1G then is rigidly bolted to this bar, preferably on the opposite side from that to which said arms are thus pivotally attached.

Accordingly the movement of the member, whether vertically, transversely or oscillatoi-ily. will be communicated to the arms and to whatever partsl are in turn supported thereby.

The. upper ends of the respective arms are provided with offset portions and 36 to facilitate the connections therewith of indelpendent. electric conductors 37 and 38 where-v v vided connecting their upper ends, being rotatably mounted in one such arm so as to be held against longitudinal movement, and having threaded engagementwith the other. .An insulated bushing 40 or equivalent means, is provided in order to maintain vthe arms electrically separate and said screw -is`de sira'bly provided ywith al hand-wheel 4l for convenience in operation. Upon drawing the upper ends of the two arms toward each other by rotatin' said hand-wheel and screw in the proper direction, the lower ends of said arms may be moved'away from each other in the plane of thedrawing in Fig. 2; while by rotating said screw so as to force such upper ends of the arms apart, the lower ends thereof willv .conversely be moved toward each other.

Suitably attached to each of said arms 30 and 3l, as by bolts 45., is a clamp member 46, 'to which in turn is attached, as by means of a bolt 47, ai complementary clamp member 48, thus providing a separate Set of such clamp members 46, 48, on each. arm. The latter are adapted to receive corresponding electrode sections 50, consisting of ltwo entirely separate pieces of carbon 'or other suitable high resistance material. To assist the bolts 47 in operating the respective sets of clamp 'membersto secure such electrode sections in place, two set-bolts 51 are provided, the same beingI threaded in ears 52 projecting laterally from the respective clamp members 46 and adapted to press with their ends against alined ears 53, respectively laterally projecting from the other clamp members 48; l

By reason of the construction of the clamp members, as just described, lnot only are the electrode sections 50 deta'chably secured therebetween so as to be interchangeable and thus permit a fresh electrode to be substituted for one thathas become worn out or deteriorated, but suoli sections or individual blocks,rinay also be independently movedin a direction transverse of their for- -ward faces 54 (Fig. 3), creat' right angles to the plane of theI drawing in Fig. 2, inl,

l the current in passing through the adjacent orderto permit the forward adjustment of said blocks as the latter wear a.way, and thus insure that said blocks will respectively".

contact with the desired degree of pressure t0 the desired temperature for welding or against-the body beingvoperated upon, as vwill be presently described. In order to loosen the electrode sections so as to permit the same to be either removed or adjusted, as above described, fit will ordinarily be sufficient toturn the f slcrews 51, so as to relieve ,narily brought together in the the clamping pressure of the lower clamp members 48; but if Athis is not sufficient, the

nuts on the bolts 47 may also be loosened,

without it, however being necessary to detach said clamping members.

The electrode sections or blocks 50 are preferably so disposed between the respective sets of clamp members 46,48, or else are so shaped as 4to bring the forward edges of said blocks closer to each other than the rear edges thereof and thus cause such forward edges torontactas will be readily understood, when the lower ends of the arms 30, 31 are forced together by operation of the screw 39, while leaving an air space be-` tween the remainder of their juxtaposed faces, which serves to electrically separate the two blocks, save at such forward edges. By operating said screw in the reverse direction, so as to move the lower ends of said arms apart,the blocks may be entirely separated. The forward facesof Said blocks, whether the latter are thus brought into partial contact or entirely separated, lie in substantial alinen'icnt as shown lin Figs. 3 and 4, and are contiguously disposed, being so formed as to fit the bond terminal, or other body upon which it is desired to operate.

In utilizing` the foregoing apparatus. the electrode sections or blocks 50 are prelimi-` manner previously described, thus closing thel clcctric. circuit through the conductors 3.7. 33. and 'the arms 30, 3l; said blocks being retained in such contar-ttor a siitlicicnt length of time to bring them to a relatively high temperature before their Contact faces are approached to the bond terminal. or other article to be welded. This preliminar)Y heating effect will of course be most pronounced`v in the portions of the electrodes nearest the contacting edges thereof, that is in the poi'- tions bounded by the contiguous cont-act faces of the blocks. Upon now pressing such contact faces of the'elcctrodc sections against the bond or other body to he heated, even if the edgesof such sections be left in contact. 'by far the larger volume of current will bridge its way across from the one section to the other through the bond. this being the path of least resistance. The faces of the 'blocks are thus brought to and retained at the desired high temperature and at the saine time the heatingetlcct ol' portion of the bond. or other body, owing to the element of resistance which the latter provides, will assist in bringing such body Jig:

of the rail or other second body, and the for-the desired operation, practically simultaneously with the first body.

By means of the foregoing construction of electrode; I provide electrically a source of li'ea'it that maybe handled much as a torch or blow pipe -in the manner in which it may be brought up tof the body to be operated upon. lt ivill be understood that were an integral block'of carbon simply interposed in the circuit. it would be diflicult to raise the exterior surface thereof. Adesigned for contact with the bond, tothe necessary temperature. By using. however` two separate carbons and bridging` the current from one to the other through one of the bodies being operated upon in the manner described, the contiguously disposed contact faces of bot-h carbons are readily maintained inA desired incandescent state.

Supplementary to and independent of the variation in thepressures exerted by the respective electrode. sections, which may be secured by initially adjusting the same in their respective clamps at the loiver ends of the arms 30, 3l., such pressures may be varied by oscillating the block 7 about the vertical axis defined by the rod or shaft 6, thereby. at the same time, oscillating the member lo and the tivo electrode sections. so as to increase the pressure exerted by the one and siniultaneously decrease the pressure exerted by the other. This variation in the pressures exerted by the electrode secti.ons, may of course be produced while the Welding operation is under ivay. and may be used to modify the predetermined heating effect which the electrode sections, as initially set, would produce. In other words. by reason of this particular method of mounting my improved dual electrode, l am enabled to obtain. this additional adjustment for varying., during the course of the operation? the relative pressures exerted by the two electrode sections. Difference in the heating effect produced by the tivo sections in the adjacent portions 0f the bond or other body being operated upon, may thus be compensated for and such heating effect equalized so as to bring` the entire body to the proper tei'nperature for uniting the same to the other body. Whether the union be considered a 'brazo or a Weld.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employe-d instead of the one explained, change being` made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:-

l. ln mechanism of the class described,V

the con'ibinatioii with supporting means; of

two heating electrodes carried thereby and having'contiguously disposed faces adapted simultaneously to contact with the body being operated upon and thereby close a series circuit through said electrodes and body, said electrodes being conjointlyoscillatory to vary .the pressures exerted by such faces, respectively.

Q. In mechanism of the class described. the combination with supporting means; of tivoheating electrodes carried thereby and having contiguously disposed faces adapted simultaneously to contact with the body being operated upon and thereby close a series circuit through said electrodes and body, said electrodes being conjointly oscillatory in a plane transverse to their Contact faces to Vary the pressures exerted by such faces, respectively.

3. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with supporting means; of two heating electrodes carried thereby and having contiguously disposed faces 'adapted simultaneously to Contact With the body being operated upon and thereby close a series circuit through said electrodes and body, said electrodes being independently relatively movable in a direction transverse of their contact faces and also conjointly oscillatory, whereby the pressures exerted by such faces may be varied.

4:. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with supporting means; lof two heating electrodes carried thereby and having contiguously disposed faces adapted simultaneously to contact With the body being operated upon and thereby close a series circuit through said electrodes and body, said electrodes being independently relatively movable in a direction transverse of their contact faces aiid also conjointly oscillatory in a plane transverse to such faces. whereby the pressures exerted by such faces may be varied.

5. lin mechanism of the class described` the combination with a suitable support; of amember, mounted thereon so as to be oscillatory about a substantially vertical axis; two heating electrodes carried by said inember7 said electrodes lying in a horizontal plane and having contiguously disposed faces adapted simultaneously to contact with the body being operated upon and therebyT close a series circuit through said electrodes and body; and means adapted to adjust said member about its axis to vary the pressures l'exerted by such faces, respectively.

6. ln mechanism of the class describedq the combination with a suitable support; .of a depending member, mounted thereon so as to be oscillatory about a substantially vertical axis; two relatively movable arms attached to said member and insulated from each other; clamping means borne by each arm; a block of high resistance material secured to each such clamping means. said multaneously to Contact with the body be-I ing operated upon-and thereby close a series circuit through said blocks and body; means adapted to move said arms and thus said blocks toward and away from each other; and other means:l adapted to adjust said member about its axis to vary the pressures exerted by such faces, respectively.

7. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a suitable support; of

, a depending member, mounted thereon so as to beoscllatory about a substantially vertical axis; two relatively movable arms attached to said member and insulated from arm; a. block of high resistance material secured to each such clamping means, said blocks lying in a horizontal plane and hav,- ing contiguously dispose-d faces adaptedsimultaneously to contact with the body being operated upon and thereby close a series circuit through said blocks and body, and said blocks being' adjustable in said clamping means transversely of such Contact faces;

means adapted to ymove said arms and thus said blocks toward and away from each other; and other means adapted to adjust said member about its axis to Vary the pressures exerted by such faces, respectively.

Signed by. me, this 22nd day of April,

WILLIAM B. CLEVELAND. Attested by- WM. E. HUBER, GEO. A. HARWooD. 

